Point detonating delay action fuse



April 22, 1958 w. F. STEVENSON EI'AL 2,331,431

POINT DETCNATING DELAY ACTION FUSE Filed Dec. 1, 1949 m win 2 98 z 9 ii I 7 M Q 8 4, 2 9 a z 2* W 5m n MQZHJ ,mm m n 5 E 5 n7 M y m POINT DETONATIN G DELAY ACTION FUSE William F. Stevenson, Washington, D. C., and Joseph 3.

Mancusi, Jr., and Leo Edelson, Mamaroneclr, N. Y., assignors' to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application December 1, 1949, Serial No. 130,392

Claims. (Cl. 102-74),

This invention relates to an artillery fuze and more specifically to a point detonating fuze employing fluid means for delay arming.

One object of the invention is a fuze employing a source of fluid under pressure within the body of a fuze to obtain delay arming.

Another object of the inventionis a fuze employing a frangible vial or ampoule containing a fluid under pressure to delayarrning and selective means for predetermining the period of arming.

Another object of this invention is the utilization of fluid means to maintain the fuze in armed condition.

In the fuze of the invention, delay arming is accomplished through the release of a relatively great amount of energy with low initiating force. A fuze embodying these principles, as set forth in this'specification, consists of a cartridge containing gas under pressure and having a puncturable sealing cap which is pierced by setback on a pin. The expanding gases act to move the piston or slider element which carries with it detonators and in its final position places the detonator in line with the firing pin and explosive train. The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a fuze constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure l.

Referring now to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown in Figure 1 an embodiment of the invention wherein 1 indicates the fuze body having .a recess 2 in its forward part, and a threaded recess 3 in its rear portion for receiving a booster 5. Intermediate said recesses is a bore 6 housing the shank of a firing pin 7 slidable in said bore upon impact and supporting a striker head 9 slidable in recess 2. The firing pin and striker assembly is resiliently maintained in the recess 2 by means of a spring 8. The spring collar 10 fixed to the firing pin adjacent its point prevents the firing pin and striker head from being ejected from the body by means of the spring 8. A transverse bore 11 houses a slider 12 resiliently positioned in one end of said bore by spring '13 having one end received in a recess 14 of the slider and the other end received in a recess 15 of a closure 16 releasably held in the open end of-bore 11 by means of a retaining spring 17. The bore 11 is provided with a groove 11:; for receiving a stud 12a fixed in slider 12 to prevent slider 12 from revolving in bore 11. It will, benoted that at the base of the bore 11 in which the slider Works, that is, at the most inward portion of the bore there is an increase of diameter or undercut 18. Two diametrically opposed pins 1919 slidable in a bore 20 within the slider are urged outwardly into the undercut by a spring 21. Fixed in slider 12 intermediate its ends are two spaced deto- Patented Apr. 22, 1958 nators 22 and 23 as best shown in Figure 1. The recessed end of the slider is provided with diametrically spaced longitudinal bores 24 and 25 to receive a prong. 26 fixed in the closure 16. Bore 25 having a greater depth than bore 24. A longitudinal bore 27 in the fuze body, spaced from the transverse bore 11, houses a vial or ampoule 28 slidable therein. The vial contains gas under high pressure and has an extension 28a received in the reduced portion of the bore 27. The extension 28a andfiring pin 7 are provided with perforations 29 and 30, respectively, for receiving a pull pin 31 as shown in Figure 2. The pull pin holding the vial and firing pin in inoperative positions until it is desired to use the fuze. Immediately prior to firing the pin 31 is manually withdrawn placing the firing pin and vial in operative condition. A piercing member 32 is fixed in the open end of bore 27, opposite and spaced from the frangible end 3212 of vial 28. A passage 33 extends from open end portion of the bore 27 adjacent the piercing member to the undercut 18.

On setback the vial or ampoule 28 moves rearwardly and strikes its frangible end on the piercing member, thereby releasing the gas under pressure. The gas then flows through the passage 33 into the undercut portion of the bore containing the slider and. forces the resiliently spaced pins into the slider to release the slider and arm the fuze. The slider is moved to the armed position under the influence of the gas expanding behind it and is maintained in the armed position by said gas. To prevent malfunctioning of the slider, due to gas seeping past the pins and collecting in the bore between the ends of the pins, 21 bleeder 34 in the body of the slider connects the bore 20 with the recess 14 and bore 11. The gas is finally vented to the atmosphere through bleeder 34a in the cap 16.

As shown in Figure 1, the slider is set for normal arming period which will bring the detonator 22 in line with the firing pin and booster. If a longer arming period is desired it only becomes necessary to remove the retainingspring, rotate the cap 16 one half of a turn, place the pin 26 in engagement with bore 25 and replace the retaining spring. The foregoing manipulation permits the slider to travel a greater distance, thereby, increasing the arming period. At the end of the travel the detonator 23 will be in line with the firing pin and booster.

We claim:

1. A point detonating fuze comprising a body, a bore along the longitudinal axis of said body, a slideway traversely to and intersecting said bore, said slideway being undercut at its closed end, a manually rotatable closure for said slidewa'y and an inwardly projecting prong fixed thereto, a slider carrying spaced detonators movable from a safe position to armed position, said slider having recesses in one end thereof to receive said prong to limit movement of said slider to determine the arming period and align one of said detonators with said bore, a traverse bore in the other end of said slider opposite said recesses, said slider bore containing diametrically opposed and resiliently spaced pins, said pins extending into the undercut portion of said slideway to hold said slider in safe position; a chamber in said body containing fluid under pressure, and piercing means in said chamber to release said fluid on setback, a passage conducting said fiuid from said chamber to said undercut to retract said locking pins, urging said slider into armed position, and holding said slider in armed position under pressure, and a longitudinal passage in said slider to vent fluid from between said pins to atmosphere through a perforation in said closure.

2. A point detonating fuze comprising a body having a longitudinal axis, a first bore extending along said axis, there being a slideway formed in said body traversely of and intersecting said first bore, a firing pin slidably fitting said first bore for movement from a first forward position clear of said slideway to a second position intersecting the same, a spring urging-said firing pin into said forward position, a striker head fixed to said firing pin at the forward end thereof and projecting beyond said body; said slideway being undercut at its closed end and having a manually rotatable closure releasably held in the open end thereof by a retaining ring, said closure having a perforation therethrough and a recess on the inner face thereof to receive a resilient member; a slider in said slideway urged away from said closure by said resilient member, said slider carrying first and second detonators spaced in its direction of movement in said slideway, an inwardly projecting prong affixed to said closure and cooperating with diametrically spaced slider bores longitudinally of said slider, one of said slider bores being of greater depth than the other to predetermine the arming period and align a corresponding one of said detonators with said firing pin, a traverse bore in the other end of said slider opposite said slider bores, a pair of pins slidably fitting said traverse bore, a spring in said bore urging said pins outwardly to position their remote ends in the undercut portion of said slideway to thereby releasably lock said slider in safe position; a chamber in said body and a frangible ampoule slidably receivable therein containing fluid under pressure, a pull pin extending beyond and into said body to engage said ampoule and said firing pin and maintain them against movement, a piercing pin removably fixed in the open end of said chamber rearwardly of said ampoule to pierce the same and release said fluid upon movement of said ampoule responsive to setback, a passage conducting said fluid from said chamber to said undercut to press said locking pins radially inwardly, urge said slider into armed position and hold said slider in armed position under pressure, there being a longitudinal passage in said slider to vent fluid from between said pins to atmosphere through the perforation in said closure.

3. In a fuze, a body having a longitudinal axis and a slideway traversely to and intersecting said axis, said slideway being closed at one of its ends thereof, a slider carrying at least two spaced detonators fitting said slideway for translation therewith from a first safe position to an armed position with respect to one of said detonators, there being a plurality of bores in one end of said slideway, a chamber in said body adapted to contain a fluid under pressure, a passage connecting said chamber and the closed end of said slideway, pressure operated locking means carried by said slider and disposed between said closed end of said slideway and said detonators to releasably lock said slider in said first safe position, means responsive to setback to release said fluid from said chamber to apply fluid under pressure to said locking means and said slider to unlock said locking means and to move and hold said slider in said armed position under pressure and manually operable stop means in said slideway operably associated with said bores in said slider to pre-determine the armed position of said slider in said slideway.

4. A point detonating fuze comprising a body, a bore along the longitudinal axis of said body, said bore being closed at one of its ends thereof, a slideway traversely to and intersecting said bore, a slider carrying laterally spaced detonators movable in said slideway from a safe position to an armed position wherein one of said spaced detonators is aligned with said bore, a firing pin operably mounted in said bore, a closure member for said slideway being disposed at the open end thereof, means for selectively aligning said detonators with said firing pin to regulate the firing period of said fuze comprising an inwardly directed prong rigidly fixed to said closure member, said slider having diametrically spaced recesses of varying depth, saidclosure adapted to, be rotated in. said slideway to align said prong with a selected one of said spaced recesses whereby upon said movement of said slider in said slideway towards the selected armed position said prong will enter said aligned recess to limit said travel of said slider upon alignment of one of said detonators with said firing pin, pressure locking means carried by said slider adapted to lock said slider in said safe position, a chamber in said body and a container having a fluid under pressure therein receivable in said chamber, there being a passage communicating said fluid from said chamber to said pressure responsive locking means, said fiuid being released in response to setback to unlock said slider, urge said slider into a selected armed position and hold said slider in said selected armed position under pressure.

5. In a point detonating fuze comprising a body having a transverse slideway therein, said slideway being closed at one of its ends and open at the other, a first bore intersecting said slideway, a firing pin in said first bore, spring means normally maintaining said firing pin clear of said slideway, a slider mounted in said slideway, said slider being movable therein from a safe position to an arming position, at least two laterally spaced detonators carried by said slider, spring means urging said slider into said slideway, there being an undercut in said slideway, adjacent its closed end thereof, locking means carried by one end of said slider and received in said undercut when said slider is in said safe position, a second bore spaced from said first bore, a passage connecting said second bore with said undercut, a frangible vial containing gas under high pressure releasably positioned in one end of said second bore and a piercing member positioned in the opposite end of said second bore, said vial contacting said piercing member upon setback to release said gas to flow through said passage and into said undercut and release said locking means from said undercut whereby said slider will move in said slideway upon pressure from said gas to align one of said detonators with said firing pin to arm said fuze, stop means cooperating with said slider for selecting one of said detonators and predetermining the arming period of said fuze comprising a closure member releasably fixed in said open end of said slideway and having an inwardly directed prong, said spring means spacing said closure member and said slider, said slider having at least two diametrically spaced bores for receiving said prong, one of said spaced bores being of greater depth than the other permitting said slider to travel a greater distance to align one of said detonators and increase the arming period of said fuze, said closure member being rotatable to align one of said spaced bores with said prong, and bleeder means for preventing accumulation of said gas in said locking means and causing malfunction of said fuse comprising, a longitudinal passage in said slider and a perforation in said closure member whereby said gas accumulating in said locking means will be vented through said slider and to atmosphere through said perforation in said closure member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,309,771 Newell July 15, 1919 1,318,954 Barlow Oct. 14, 1919 1,850,196 Bardsley Mar. 22, 1932 1,933,608 Teitscheid Nov. 7, 1933 2,368,747 Doe et al. Feb. 6, 1945 2,434,551 Eliomarkakis Jan. 13, 1948 2,487,056 King Nov. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 257,335 Great Britain Aug. 27, 1926 694,402 France Sept. 15, 1930 

